Spool



June 7, 1949. J, ox 2,472,248

SPOOL Filed Feb. 1, 1947 INVENTOR. James V/ctor Cox ATTORNEYJ Patented June 7, 1949 SPOOL James Victor Cox, B. F. Gladding & N. Y.

Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Company, Inc., South Otselic,

Application February 1, 1947, Serial No. 725,945

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel spool or bobbin construction.

Various built-up spool or bobbin constructions have been proposed in the prior art. The pres-- ent invention provides departures from the constructions of the prior art which afford numerous advantages in manufacture, particularly in mass production, and in the usefulness of the resultant product.

In pursuing the teachings of the present invention, it is possible to fabricate a, sturdy and rigid spool or bobbin from a minimum number of simple parts which lend themselves readily to economical production on a. large scale by molding from any of a wide variety of synthetic resins or plastics.

Further, the construction of the present invention is such that the major parts of the spool may be used interchangeably to form spools having various base diameters. Base diameters as here used means the diameter of the drum or element upon which the material for which the spool is provided is wound. The spool of the present invention comprises a pair of interfitting end members or heads which engage over the ends of a short sleeve element which comprises the surface upon which the material is to be wound. Sleeve elements of various diameters may be engaged between a given pair of end members to provide spools of various effective sizes.

A detailed embodiment of a spool or bobbin constructed according to the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification. However, the principles of the present invention are not limited to the form shown by way of example nor otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completed spool or bobbin;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the inner face of one of the end members of the spool or bobbin of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the several figures of the drawing, like characters of reference denote like parts. and the numerals Ill and II designate a pair of circular end members individually molded from synthetic resin or other suitable plastic material. The end members l and l I are provided with telescoping central sleeve-like projections I3 and I4, respectively. Either the external periphery o1 projec ment. The external tion l3 or the internal periphery of projection M or both may be very slightly tapered in the'molding step to facilitate assembly and insure a tight fit The facing radial surfaces of end members I 0 and H are each provided with a series of concentric circular ribs l6 and 11, respectively. The several ribs l6 and II are equally spaced in a radial direction to provide a series of seating grooves and in Fig. 2 a cylindrical sleeve element 20, likewise preferably of molded resin, is shown with its ends seated between pairs of adjacent ribs- [6 and IT. The dot and dash lines at A in Fig. 2 illustrate the fact that, in the alternative, another sleeve of considerably less diameter might be seated between another pair of the ribs [6 and IT, in place of sleeve 20, to provide a spool of greater capacity within the same end members l0 and H.

During assembly the circular grooves of the end members I0 and II which are to receive the ends of sleeve 20, or the ends of sleeve 20 themselves or both, are provided with a suitable ceperiphery of projection l3 and the internal periphery of projection M are likewise provided with cement, so that when the device is assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the parts I0, I and 20 bond into an integral unit which, while it basically may be made of relatively low strength synthetic resin, provides a very rigid, strong, and attractive spool or bobbin.

The material normally used is moderately resilient and the proportions may be such that when the projections l3 and M are pressed to finally assembled position the radial walls of end members l0 and l l are flexed slightly outwardly by the sleeve 20, so that they clamp sleeve 20 with resilient pressure.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising opposed head members each including a central hollow cylindrical portion and a circular end wall portion extending radially outwardly therefrom, said cylindrical portions being snugly interfitting and adhesively secured to support the wall portions in spaced coaxial relationship, the proximate faces of the wall portions having relatively shallow circular grooves spaced outwardly of and concentric with said cylindrical portions, and a tubular element having its opposite ends seating in said grooves and held securely between said end wall portions by the rigid interfltting of said cylindrical portions.

2. As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising opposed head members each including a central hollow cylindrical portion and a circular end wall portion extending radially outwardly therefrom, said cylindrical portions being snugly interfitting and adhesively secured to support the wall portions in spaced coaxial relationship, the proximate faces of the wall portions having relatively shallow circular grooves spaced outwardly of and concentric'with said cylindrical portions, and a tubular element having its opposite ends seating in said grooves and held securely between said end wall portions by the rigid interfitting of said cylindrical portions, the proportions being such that the wall portions are flexed resiliently against the ends of the tubular element as the cylindrical portions are pressed to finally assembled position.

3. As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising opposed heads each comprising a molded plastic member having a central hollow cylindrical portion and a circular end wall portion extending radially outwardly therefrom, said'cylindrical portions being snugly interfitting and adhesively-secured to support the wall portions in spaced coaxial relationship, the proximate faces of the-wallportions having relatively shallow circulargrooves spaced outwardly of and concentrio with said cylindrical portions, and a plastic tubular element having its opposite ends seating in said grooves and held securely between said end-wallportions by the rigid interfitting of said cylindrical portions.

4.-.As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising opposed head members each including a central-hollow cylindrical portion and a circular end wall portion extending radially outwardly therefrom, said cylindrical portions being snugly interfittingand adhesively secured to support the wall portions 'in spaced coaxial relationship, the proximate faces of the wall portions havin a plurality of uniformly spaced relatively shallow circular grooves spaced outwardly of and concentric with said cylindrical portions, and a tubular-element or a selected diameter having its opposite ends seating between a predetermined pair of said grooves on each wall'portion, according toits diameter, and held securely between said end-wall portions by the rigid interfitting of said cylindrical portions.

"5.As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising opposed head members each including a central hollow cylindrical portion and a circular end 'wall portion extending radially outwardly therefrom, said'cylindrical portions being securely=interfitted to support the wall portions in spaced coaxialrelationship, the proximate faces of the wall portions havingrelatively shallow circular grooves spaced outwardly of and concentric with said cylindrical portions, and a tubular element having its opposite ends seatin in said grooves and held securely between said end wall portions by the rigid interfitting of said cylindrical portions.

6. 'As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising opposed head members each including a central hollow cylindrical portion and a circular end wall portion extending radially outwardly therefrom, said cylindrical portions being snugly interfitting and adhesively secured to support the wall. .portion in spaced coaxial relationship, the proximate facesof the wall portions having a circul-ar'seat spaced outwardly of and concentric with said cylindrical portions, and a tubular element having its opposite ends in engagement with said seat and held securely between said end wall.

portions by the rigid interfitting of said cylindrical portions.

'7. As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising a pair of end members, each of said end members comprising a substantially discoidal body portion and a central coaxial tubular projection, said tubular projections being telescoped in snugly fitting'engagement to support the disassembled position coidal portions in spaced coaxial relationship, and a core element comprising a cylindrical sleeve having each of its ends in abutment with one of the inner faces of the discoidal portions of said and members, each of said end members having a relatively shallow circular groove in its inner face-to receive and locate an end of said sleeve, said members and said sleeve being retained in by adhesive securement of said inte'rfitting tubular projections.

an article of manufacture, a spool comprising a pair of end members, each of said end members comprisin a substantially discoidal body portion and a central coaxial tubular projection,-- said tubular projections being telescoped in-snugly'fitting engagement to support the discoidal portions in spaced coaxial relationship, and a core element comprising a cylindrical sleeve having each of its ends in abutment with one of the innerfaces of the discoidalportions of said end members, each of said end members having a relatively shallow circular groove in its inner face to receive and-locate an end of-said sleeve, said members-andsaid sleeve being retained in assembled position by adhesive securement of said interfitting tubularprojections, the proportions beingsueh thatnthe discoidal portions are flexed resiliently against the ends of the cylindrical sleeveas. the parts are finally assembled by telescopingsaid tubular projections.

9.. -As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising apair ofmolded plastic end members, each of said end members comprising a substantially discoidal bodyiportion and a central coaxial tubular projection, said tubular projections being telescopedin snugly fitting engagement to support the discoidal, portions in spaced coaxial relationship, and a core .molded plastic element comprising a cylindrical sleeve having each of its ends in abutment with one of the inner faces of the discoidal, portions of said end members, each of said end members having a relatively shallow circular groove in its inner face to receive and locate an end of said sleeve, said members and said sleeve being retained in. assembled position by adhesive securement of said interfitting tubular projections.

10. As an article of manufacture, a spool comprising apair of end members, each of said end members comprising a substantially discoidal body portion and a central coaxial tubular projection, said tubular projections being telescoped in snugly fitting engagement to support the discoidal portions in spaced coaxial relationship, and a core element comprising a cylindrical sleeve having each of its ends inabutment with one of the inner .facesof the discoidal portions of said end members, each of said end members having a relatively shallow circular groove in its inner face to. receive and, locate-amend of said sleeve, said members and. saidsleeve being retained in assembled positionby secure interfltting of said tubular. projections.

. 11. As-an-article of manufacture, a spool comprising a pair of endmembers, each of said end members comprising a substantially discoidal body portion andacentral coaxial tubular projection, said tubular projections being telescoped in snugly fitting engagement to support the discoidal portions in spaced coaxial relationship, and a core element comprising a cylindrical sleeve having each of its ends in abutment with one of the inner faces of the discoidal portions of said end members, each of said end members having a circular seat on its inner face to receive and locate an end of said sleeve, said members and said sleeve being retained in assembled position by adhesive securement of said interfitting tubular projections.

JAMES VICTOR COX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wardwell Dec. 3, 1895 Vaughan Nov. 8, 1921 Kaufman Nov. 27, 1923 Batchelor July 6, 1926 Springer May 21, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Nov. 6, 1899 Great Britain July 8, 1920 

